Background:
The kidney and cardiovascular system are closely related to each other during
the modulation of the cardiovascular homeostasis. However, the search for new alternatives for the
treatment and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases does not take into account this relationship, so their
evaluation results and the advantages offered by their global and integrative analysis are wasted. For
example, a variety of receptors that are overexpressed in both pathologies is large enough to allow expansion
in the search for new molecular targets and ligands. Nanotechnology offers pharmacological
targeting strategies to kidney, heart, and blood vessels for overcoming one of the essential restrictions
of traditional cardiovascular therapies the ones related to their unspecific pharmacodynamics distribution
in these critical organs.
Recent Findings:
Drug or contrast agent nano-targeting for treatment or diagnosis of atherosclerosis,
thrombosis, renal cancer or fibrosis, glomerulonephritis, among other renal, cardiac and blood vessels
pathologies would allow an increase in their efficacy and a reduction of their side effects. Such effects
are possible because, through pharmacological targeting, the drug is mainly found at the desired site.
Review Purpose:
In this mini-review, active, passive, and physical targeting strategies of several
nanocarriers that have been assessed and proposed for the treatment and diagnosis of different
cardiovascular diseases, are being addressed.
